How to Unblock Websites at School for Free

Schools regularly block websites and impose restrictions on their students’ internet access and usage.

Some of these restrictions are required by law, while others are put in place to increase student productivity, improve security on the school WiFi network, or to manage WiFi bandwidth.

We do not recommend violating your school’s policy. However, it isn’t uncommon for school content filters to accidentally block useful research websites, or other valuable resources.

It can therefore be helpful to know how to bypass school content filters. The most appropriate method ultimately depends on the device you’re using. The typical three scenarios are:

1. You’re using a personal device on school WiFi.
2. You’re using a school computer or tablet (e.g. in the library or in a classroom).
3. You’re using a school Chromebook.

Most of this guide’s readers are on a computer (often on a Chromebook). Below is a quick overview of how to unblock websites on these devices:

Google Chromebooks are now used by over 50 million students and educators in schools worldwide.

Their popularity stems from their affordability, speed, and durability, but also from the fact that they enable school administrators to easily enforce content filters.

Not all Chromebooks support local software installation, which means it’s much harder to install website unblocking applications onto the device, such as VPN clients.

The simplest way to unblock websites on a school Chromebook is to use a VPN extension for Chrome, which lets you easily and quickly access blocked websites on your ChromeOS device.

In the video below we demonstrate how to unblock a website using a VPN extension:

A VPN Chrome extension works similarly to a full VPN application, except it only encrypts your connection and hides your IP address within the browser.

On Chromebooks, this isn’t much of an issue since all your internet traffic is usually browser-based, however it’s still worth being aware of the difference between VPN apps and VPN extensions.

Unfortunately, many schools configure their Chromebooks to prevent access to the Chrome Web Store. Some schools allow access to it, but only to ‘educational’ categories. As such, VPN and proxy extensions may still not be available even if you can access the Web Store.

If you’re unable to install a VPN extension onto Chrome, use a safe web proxy, like Hide.me, instead.

After many rounds of testing, we believe the five methods below are the simplest and most effective to unblock websites at school:

1. Use a VPN or VPN extension: The most effective way to unblock websites at school.
2. Use a Web Proxy: The fastest way to bypass school web restrictions.
3. Use Mobile Data: A free way to access websites blocked on school WiFi.
4. Use a URL Shortener: A simple, free tool for beating URL-based website blocks.
5. Use the Wayback Machine: The best way to access restricted content without breaking any school policy.

Use the table below to compare these five unblocking methods side by side:

Method	Efficacy	Speed	Free or Paid?	Works on Personal Device?	Works on School Computer?	Works on School Chromebook?	Similar Alternatives
VPN Extension	High	Very Fast	Free or Paid	Yes	No	Unlikely	Proxy Browser Extension
Web Proxy	Medium	Fast	Free	Yes	Yes	Yes	URL Unblocker
Mobile Hotspot	Very High	Very Fast	Free	Yes	Unlikely	Yes	Change Network Proxy
URL Shortener	Low	Very Fast	Free	Yes	Yes	Yes	IP Search, Mobile Site
Wayback Machine	Medium	Fast	Free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Google Cache

We’ll now take a closer look at each of these methods and how to use them to unblock websites at school.

1. Use a VPN Extension

Pros	Cons
The most effective way to access blocked websites at school	Schools sometimes block access to VPN extensions from browsers’ web stores
Delivers very quick connection speeds	The very best VPN extensions require a paid subscription
Provides a very high degree of encryption to protect your internet privacy and security
Good selection of free server locations to choose from

The most reliable, safe, and effective way to unblock websites at school is to set up and use a VPN application. It’s by far the best method for bypassing website blocks.

A VPN works by creating a tunnel for your internet traffic to travel through. To do this, it re-routes your connection via a remote VPN server (the school’s local network will only see this server’s IP address).

Most school website blocks are based on the URL or IP address of the website you’re visiting. A VPN hides these details inside the VPN tunnel, bypassing content restrictions at school.

The problem is it’s almost always impossible to use VPN software since administrators configure school devices to prevent unauthorized software being installed on them.

The next best thing is therefore to use a VPN browser extension, instead. Below are simple instructions on how to install one on your web browser.

2. Use a Web Proxy

Pros	Cons
Free and very easy to use	Rarely works with multimedia content and streaming sites, such as YouTube
Accessible via any browser, including Chrome, Safari and Firefox	School administrators sometimes block the web proxy itself
Requires no manual installation or set up	Only works within a single browser tab
Works well on school Chromebooks and school computers	Doesn’t encrypt your connection, leaving your activity visible to teachers and network administrators
	Unsafe web proxies can spy on your activity or infect your session with malware

If you can’t add a VPN extension to your web browser, then a good alternative to unblock websites at school is to use a web proxy. They’re free to use, fairly reliable at bypassing school restrictions, and don’t require any setup.

A web proxy is essentially a website with access to a proxy server embedded inside. You simply enter the blocked website’s URL, and the web proxy retrieves the site’s content for you in the same browser window.

This lets you bypass school blocks because you don’t actually request the website’s URL or IP address — the web proxy requests it on your behalf. This means the school’s content filters are not triggered.

Web proxies tend to deliver reasonably fast connection speeds, and they’re a great option for unblocking text-based websites, such as Reddit. Gaming websites sometimes work, but streaming platforms are almost always blocked.

Further down we list a number of safe web proxies you can try.

Importantly, web proxies aren’t encrypted, unlike VPNs. This makes it easier for the school and its ISP to monitor you. Never enter any personal or sensitive information while using a web proxy.

Web proxies aren’t infallible, though, since schools can prevent access to them by adding the proxy’s URL to the network’s blocklist. If that’s the case, we suggest trying a URL Unblocker tool.

Similarly to a web proxy, URL Unblockers use another computer to access the blocked website on your behalf, bypassing school restrictions in the process. To do this, they typically use an embedded version of the Chromium browser which you can control from within the tool.

URL Unblockers are often less private, more insecure, and slower than a web proxy. But, they are less commonly blocked by school administrators and often work with video streaming websites. You can find examples of URL Unblockers on Replit.

3. Switch to Mobile Data

Pros	Cons
Lets you access any website (that isn’t blocked by your cell phone provider)	Requires a cell phone with good signal and a large data plan
Usually offers quick speeds	Won’t work with certain website blocks on a school Chromebook
Works for streaming, gaming, and other multimedia websites	You may get in trouble if caught on your phone during class
Prevents the school network administrator from monitoring your activity	Won’t let you bypass device-level content filters, cell phone provider content and domain blocks

Accessing the internet through your phone’s data network, rather than the school’s WiFi network, is an easy and quick way to unblock websites at school.

Most school content filters are implemented at the network-level. When you use the school’s WiFi, your traffic passes through a firewall in the local network which monitors the URL, IP address, and sometimes even the content of the website you’re visiting.

It compares this against a blocklist, and if it detects a match, your connection is blocked.

You can bypass these firewalls completely by switching from the school’s WiFi to your mobile data network.

When you use mobile data to access the internet, you’re no longer subject to school restrictions. You can access whichever websites your cell phone provider allows – often with faster speeds.

By turning your phone into a personal hotspot, you can use this method to unblock websites on school chromebooks and sometimes school computers too. That’s because your computer’s traffic is routed through your cell phone provider’s network and not your school’s network.

It’s worth remembering that this method will consume your phone’s data allowance, which can quickly become expensive. You may also get in trouble if you’re caught using your phone in class.

In addition to these limitations, this method won’t work in two particular situations:

1. Some schools configure student Chromebooks to always route your traffic through the school’s servers, regardless of which local network the Chromebook is connected to.In this case, your school’s content filters always apply, regardless of which network you’re connected to.

   NOTE: Many schools switch their content filters off during out-of-school hours. This gives you unrestricted internet access at home, but it doesn’t stop your activity being routed through the school’s servers. It also doesn’t help to unblock websites during school hours.

2. School computers and school chromebooks occasionally have content filtering software installed directly onto the device itself, in addition to network-level firewalls. That means website blocks will still apply regardless of whether you’re connected to a mobile data network or the school’s WiFi.

4. Use a URL Shortener

Pros	Cons
Free to use	Only unblocks URL-based content filters
No manual installation or configuration needed	Administrators sometimes block students from accessing URL shorteners
Can unblock streaming, gaming, and social media websites
Works on school Chromebooks and school computers

A URL shortener is a free online tool that takes a full URL address and creates a shortened version that is easier to remember and share. When accessed, the shortened URL then redirects users to the original, longer URL.

URL shorteners are mostly used to create more user-friendly URLs, but they can also be used to unblock websites at school. That’s because the tool lets you visit blocked websites via a URL that isn’t recognised by the school’s content filters.

It’s therefore a great method for easily bypassing URL-based website blocks, which are the most common type of school restriction. It can be used for streaming and gaming, and works equally well on personal devices, school computers, and school chromebooks.

Sometimes, school administrators block access to the URL shortener website itself. In this case, you’ll need to find one that isn’t blocked. Popular URL shorteners include TinyURL, Ow.ly and Bitly.

It’s important to keep in mind that your network administrator can still see what you’re doing when you use a URL shortener at school.

5. Use Wayback Machine

Pros	Cons
Unlikely to get you into trouble	The content may be outdated
Free and simple to use	Doesn’t work well for sites that are regularly updated or rely on real-time data processing.
Requires no software installation or configuration	Some schools block the Wayback Machine website
Works well on school Chromebooks and school computers, e.g. in the library

Another technique for unblocking websites at school is to access a copy of the website, rather than trying to visit the blocked site itself. The best way to do this is to use the Wayback Machine.

The Wayback Machine is a free digital archive containing billions of web page copies. The tool works by taking snapshots of websites and then storing them in its database.

By viewing an archived version of the site, you prevent the school’s content filters from detecting the URL or IP address of the blocked website, thereby granting you free access to the restricted material.

Using the Wayback Machine is a quick and easy way to bypass simple website blocks at school, and it requires no manual installation or configuration.

It works on school Chromebooks and school computers (unless the URL has been added to the school network’s blacklist), and is probably the method that’s least likely to cause any issues with your teacher or administrator.

That said, it does have its limitations. The archived version of the website may not always be the most up to date. Additionally, some websites may not be fully functional or interactive when accessed through the Wayback Machine.

For this reason, this method is best for unblocking text-based websites. The tool supports multimedia content (such as video or audio streaming) for some but not every website. It won’t work for games, either.

To unblock websites at school using the Wayback Machine:

1. Navigate to web.archive.org in your browser.
2. Paste the blocked website’s URL into the site’s search box.
3. Hover over the most recent blue circle on the calendar. You can also view older versions of the website if you wish.
4. Click the most recent timestamp. This will open the most recent copy of the webpage archived by the Wayback Machine.

Using a web proxy is a very popular way to unblock websites at school, however the vast majority of web proxies are unsafe to use.

At best, they leave your traffic unencrypted and exposed to hackers. At worst, they’ll spy on your browser activity, sell this data onto advertisers, inject adverts into your browsing session, and sometimes even infect your device with malware.

Therefore, only ever use a trusted and safe web proxy like the ones we recommend below.

1. Hide.me

Hide.me’s Proxy Browser is the most private web proxy you can use to unblock school restrictions. The service is committed to a no logs policy, meaning it doesn’t keep records of your web activity.

The web proxy also offers a higher level of security than kProxy. Users are not only given the option to “Encrypt URL”, but can also “Encrypt Page”.

Unfortunately, Hide.me provides no information about what these options actually mean.

While this is nowhere near the level of security offered by a VPN or the Tor browser, it is a step in the right direction. It may also help to prevent more sophisticated school content filters from blocking your connection based on keyword detection.

In terms of performance, Hide.me’s web proxy delivers average connection speeds. It is about as reliable as kProxy at bypassing school restrictions, and offers three different server locations: the Netherlands, Germany, and Finland.

Overall, it’s a useful tool for unblocking websites at school and offers a greater degree of privacy and security than kProxy.

2. kProxy

kProxy is a very popular free web proxy. In our tests, it wasn’t able to unblock websites as frequently or as reliably as Hide.me, though.

However, when it did unblock websites, the load times were very fast and the proxy injected no adverts into the browsing session.

You can therefore use kProxy to access blocked websites at school, with only a small amount of trial and error.

If you do encounter an error, kProxy offers ten different proxy servers to switch between. All of these are located in the US — which is good news for American students — but may cause speed issues for non-US users.

You should also be aware that kProxy has an encrypted HTTPS version and an unencrypted HTTP version. To stay safe and secure, you should only ever use the encrypted version.

One annoying quirk of kProxy is that it switches to the HTTP version every time you switch servers. You can change back to the HTTPS version by clicking the padlock icon on the left of the search bar.